Alone And Talking
by thatrobynchick
Summary: Jean visits Marco to do some stargazing. ((SPOILERS for recent manga chapters - also contains mild swearing. Can be seen as either shipped or not, however this was made for day 2 of Jeanmarco week))


"Hey Marco," Jean started lazily, sitting down on the grass in-front of his friend with a blanket over his shoulders as a large scarf. "No no, don't get up. I, uh, just came to update you on stuff."

The blond removed the brown, rough sheet of material and placed it on a large stone a foot away from where he sat.

"Yeah, don't get up." He continued with a gentle smirk, "Just stay there, being lazy. So, bad news. Ymir's a titan. Yeah, that, and Reiner and Bertholdt are too. Yeah, I know, it's crazy and I don't know what the hell kinda game they think they're playing but…" he sighed, "I don't really know anyone's game anymore."

His breath was visible in the air. With another short sigh, he watched as the cloud of mist evaporated into the cold, grey November skies. It'd been cold and grey for months now.

His eyes drifted across the landscape. He sat on a small hill away from people with his best friend nearby. Kind of. The city was preparing to sleep and he'd strayed out alone for a multitude of reasons, one of which was that he hated when anyone other than Marco saw him cry. Which he would, likely as not, because he always did when he came to visit.

A breeze rustled some long grasses in his peripheral vision and the teen nigh on leapt to his feet, in preparation to defend himself. Nothing, of course it was nothing. Jean had even _seen_ the grasses bend and not some freak-faced titan sneaking up behind. He tutted to himself, shaking his head as he sat back down on the small tree stump he'd called a chair recently.

"I'm so skittish. Swear I wasn't skittish when I was younger." His frown deepened. "Everyone says I've changed. Suddenly I'm all serious. I haven't changed that much, have I?"

Silence.

"I blame you if I have." Jean continued, folding his arms and hunching his shoulders against the cold. "You shouldn't have been so stupidly nice to me. If you'd have just called me a fool like everyone else then I'd be in the Inner City as part of the Military Police. With you, where you would be able to call me all kinds of shitty names and I'd be able to do the same to you."

"Instead, you're up there and I'm down here, doing all I fucking can for humanity's sake. _Hopefully_, like the soldier you thought I was. I wish you could come talk to me." The teen cleared his throat and leaned to his left, draping an arm over the erected stone.

"It doesn't matter – I mean I got this rock and Armin says it's gonna be starry tonight and since there hasn't been much titan activity in the area, thought we could star gaze. Y'know, like we did when we were younger."

A small smile came to his lips as he watched the sky get ever darker, the sun having set a half hour ago.

"Armin mentioned you earlier." He spoke up frankly, picking the blanket back up and wrapping it over his shoulders. "Then he looked at me like I was some kinda broken loser… I may not be strong," Jean continued, shifting to lean his head against the makeshift tombstone. "But I know you wouldn't wanna look down and see me crying like a baby all the time."

A familiar pain grew in the boy's chest and his expression dropped with his mood. "We want you back. All of us. We miss you. You had this stupid calming way about you and it… you… Goddamn it, Marco, you better me listening to me."

Another few minutes passed and time ran quickly by the lonesome young man. It seemed to, recently. It was like time was just forgetting him and suddenly weeks had passed in what he'd expect was a few days. Suddenly months. One day, if he was lucky, he'd be old enough for the "Captain" position. If he lived that long. But he had to make it. He had to last that long, because he was going to prove to everyone who ever doubted him (including himself) that he was able to do everything the others can do.

For Marco.

The reason he hadn't given up yet.


End file.
